Some fun yesterday

[Farmboy]

Had a bit of fun yesterday out at the farm... Grandpa was working ground and had a bit of tractor trouble...




Here is what we used to bring it home.


He was just driving along and the axle broke clean in half. about half way between the axlehousing and the hub. First one in all his years and mine that has ever happened. I have no idea what the cause was.

[Ace]

I don't suppose it's still under warranty?

[KTA]

The cause would be fatigue. You can see by looking at the break that at some time there was an impact that started a crack on the one side. That is why its darker and rusty on the one side. Most likely at some point years ago the tractor was in a big hole or got hit on that side or something that started the crack. years later after crack propagation and fatique it broke off.

[Farmboy]

The cause would be fatigue. You can see by looking at the break that at some time there was an impact that started a crack on the one side. That is why its darker and rusty on the one side. Most likely at some point years ago the tractor was in a big hole or got hit on that side or something that started the crack. years later after crack propagation and fatique it broke off.

My family has been farming for the last 100 years (give or take a few ) and this is the first one we have ever seen.

We noticed the old fracture right off the bat. The thought crossed our mind about possibly being a defect from the factory, or possibly an impact that happened during the stay at the previous owners farm. Seeing that this tractor had a loader on it before it could have been backed into a barn wall or something.

I don't suppose it's still under warranty?

Nope... take a guess at how much that sucker costs...

[Farmboy]

It also seemed strange that it broke half way out to the hub. If you look at it as a fixed cantilever the maximum stress point would be at the location closest the the fixed point. Theoretically it should have broke there. That is why we were almost leaning towards the defect or the impact, not just normal wear and tare.

[Farmboy]

By the way, KTA, I just looked at your profile. Nice to see there are more Farmer/Engineers out there. I am one also. I think you have a tad more experence than I do, as I am only 21. I have an associate degree in design engineering and one in mechanical engineering also. Currently, work is sending me to finish my mechanical degree with a bachelor degree. At least they are paying for it.

[SNOOT]

KTA called that one. I work in the mooring industry and see this kind of damage all the time. We do break tests in our machines.

[KTA]

Actually Mr fellow engineer if you look more closely I can't tell for sure from the pics but it appears the crack started at the 1st rack notch for the rack and pinion axle. A notch of any kind is about twice the stress concentration factor of the standard round cylinder therefore it is your most likely failure point. In this case it looks like that is where it did. I work for John Deere and have seen this failure several times before on bigger tractors than this. In row crop country that usese heavy 3pt mounted stuff like planters I have seen that a fair bit. Its not common, but does happen. There should be plenty of good final drives in salvage yards which is the fix for this vs a new axle and bearings. You should be able to find a good final drive complete for less than $800.

[Ace]

We do break tests in our machines.

That there is some SERIOUSLY heavy equipment!

[Farmboy]

Yes we found a used axle for $600

Here's some updated pics.

[MMiller]

I know it sure didn't brake because of power output, its a green tractor. I am kinda curious of the model of that Deere, not many open station tractors up here that have that large of an axle shaft.

Cars are green, trucks are red, and tractors are yellow . Hopefully tomorrow there will be a couple of Cats on tracks working, making the local Deere dealer nervous. I know I'm probably out numbered, so I will go back to my corner and play with my tractors...........

Michael

[KTA]

I used a Cat Challenger once. It sure isn't for this part of the country. No doubt fine out in the flat lands. That must be a 2840 or 2940 or something. It is a little utility tractor less than 100hp.

[beerboy81]

driven 9400T's and 9520T's for a few years now.. wouldn't wanna drive anything else.

just recent winter, had to pull out grampa's new 9230 out of the mud. he didnt enjoy it at all, he's old fashioned, not a fan of the tracks - only god knows why! he's been thru it all, from horse drawn plows and now driving autopilots.

love the fact that i can just put it on autopilot and sit back n chill with 3 or 4 buddies in the cab.. of course what do you thinks in the cooler

[MMiller]

Never been to a farm in Kentucky, but Cat's work very well in the Mid west. There has been many times in the last ten years when we could go to the field days ahead of the neighbors, just because the tracks cause a lot less damage when wet. Of course we didn't like being out there, but every once in a while you have to go out and get work done and the weather is trying to stop you. We deep till in the fall, last year was very wet, and I was pulling 1100-1200 bushel loads of corn out of the field, dragging the two gravity flow wagons in mud, axel deep, with a MT745. I've never driven a tractor that will pull harder then a tracked tractor. It just hunkers down and pulls.


I thought that planetary set looked larger then I would have thought in a 2940. I've had lots of 4020s apart, and a few 4430s/40s, buts its been over 10 years ago.

Michael

[Farmboy]

The tractor is a 2750 bout 75hp. has a 4 cyl. turbo diesel. Here is everything I know about it.

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractor ... -2750.html